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GIM Founding Member & Mod.

Our review provides the first comprehensive analysis of the literature about the association between LDL-C and mortality in the elderly. Since the main goal of prevention of disease is prolongation of life, all-cause mortality is the most important outcome, and is also the most easily defined outcome and least subject to bias. The cholesterol hypothesis predicts that LDL-C will be associated with increased all-cause and CV mortality. Our review has shown either a lack of an association or an inverse association between LDL-C and both all-cause and CV mortality. The cholesterol hypothesis seems to be in conflict with most of Bradford Hill’s criteria for causation, because of its lack of consistency, biological gradient and coherence. Our review provides the basis for more research about the cause of atherosclerosis and CVD and also for a re-evaluation of the guidelines for cardiovascular prevention, in particular because the benefits from statin treatment have been exaggerated.

Molon Labe! Deplorable Dreg!

Am I to understand that all this talk about lowering cholesterol was fake news? I'm shocked! Shocked I tell ya!

Lynching is a premeditated extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate a group.

Credit: ISTOCK PHOTO/kickstandONE DAY IN 1999, Duane Graveline, then a 68-year-old former NASA astronaut, returned home from his morning walk in Merritt Island, Fla., and could not remember where he was. His wife stepped outside, and he greeted her as a stranger. When Graveline’s memory returned some six hours later in the hospital, he racked his brain to figure out what might have caused this terrifying bout of amnesia. Only one thing came to mind: he had recently started taking the statin drug Lipitor.

Cholesterol-lowering statins such as Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor are the most widely prescribed medications in the world, and they are credited with saving the lives of many heart disease patients. But recently a small number of users have voiced concerns that the drugs elicit unexpected cognitive side effects, such as memory loss, fuzzy thinking and learning difficulties. Hundreds of people have registered complaints with MedWatch, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s adverse drug reaction database, but few studies have been done and the results are inconclusive. Nevertheless, many experts are starting to believe that a small percentage of the population is at risk, and they are calling for increased public awareness of the possible cognitive side effects of statins—symptoms that may be misdiagnosed as dementia in the aging patients who take them.

Fat and the Brain
It is not crazy to connect cholesterol-modifying drugs with cognition; after all, one quarter of the body’s cholesterol is found in the brain. Cholesterol is a waxy substance that, among other things, provides structure to the body’s cell membranes. High levels of cholesterol in the blood create a risk for heart disease, because the molecules that transport cholesterol can damage arteries and cause blockages. In the brain, however, cholesterol plays a crucial role in the formation of neuronal connections—the vital links that underlie memory and learning. Quick thinking and rapid reaction times depend on cholesterol, too, because the waxy molecules are the building blocks of the sheaths that insulate neurons and speed up electrical transmissions. “We can’t understand how a drug that affects such an important pathway would not have adverse reactions,” says Ralph Edwards, former director of the World Health Organization’s drug-monitoring center in Uppsala, Sweden.

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Two small trials published in 2000 and 2004 by Matthew Muldoon, a clinical pharmacologist at the University of Pittsburgh, seem to suggest a link between statins and cognitive problems. The first, which enrolled 209 high-cholesterol subjects, reported that participants taking placebo pills improved more on repeated tests of attention and reaction time taken over the course of six months—presumably getting better because of practice, as people typically do. Subjects who were on statins, however, did not show the normal improvement—suggesting their learning was impaired. The second trial reported similar findings. And a study published in 2003 in Reviews of Therapeutics noted that among 60 statin users who had reported memory problems to MedWatch, more than half said their symptoms improved when they stopped taking the drugs.
But other studies have found no significant link between statins and memory problems. Larry Sparks, director of the Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research at the Sun Health Research Institute in Sun City, Ariz., goes so far as to say that “you’ve got a better chance of buying a winning lottery ticket, walking outside and getting hit by lightning and dying” than you do of suffering a cognitive side effect from statins.

Vulnerable Genes?

Many experts agree that for most people the risk is quite low, but they are beginning to believe the effects are real. “A subset of the population is vulnerable,” argues Joe Graedon, co-founder of the consumer advocacy Web site the People’s Pharmacy, which has collected hundreds of reports of cognitive-related statin side effects in the past decade. Some researchers believe these people have a genetic profile that puts them at risk.
Beatrice A. Golomb, an associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, suggests that one at-risk group may be people with defects in their mitochondria, the structures within cells that make energy. Statins prevent the body from making an antioxidant that neutralizes the damaging free radicals created by mitochondrial activity. If brain cells—which consume lots of energy—already have mitochondrial problems, then statin therapy could tip the scale and cause noticeable symptoms, such as trouble learning.

Golomb’s theory is supported by a 2006 study published by geneticist Georgirene Vladutiu of the University at Buffalo. Vladutiu reported that statin users who experience muscle pain and weakness as a side effect are more likely than other users to have preexisting genetic defects related to cellular energy production. And as with brain cells, muscle cells are high energy users.

Different Formulations

Interestingly, some studies suggest that statins might improve memory in certain people by lowering the risk of dementia. This benefit could occur because cholesterol is involved in the production of the protein clusters that are the hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. But even if statins are neurologically protective for some, they may be problematic for others, given that the opposing effects probably arise through different biochemical pathways.

Because statins differ in their formulations and can affect so many processes, and because users have different genetic predispositions, simply switching drugs might help people who are experiencing warning signs such as forgetting names. A 2009 Pharmacotherapy study published by Golomb and Marcella A. Evans, a graduate student at the University of California, Irvine, analyzed the characteristics of 171 statin users who reported cognitive side effects. Their findings suggest that people who take the more potent statins—Crestor and Lipitor—are at an increased risk compared with people who take weaker statins.

Graveline, for one, is certain that Lipitor was to blame for his 1999 amnesia incident. Although he immediately stopped taking the drug, his doctor—who was skeptical—convinced him a year later to give it another shot. Sure enough, after another eight weeks of treatment, he suffered a second episode. Graveline has been statin-free ever since, instead following a healthy diet to keep his cholesterol low, and he says he has never felt better. But he also knows that for many, the benefits that statins provide will overshadow their risks. “I’m not asking for statins to be taken off the market,” he says. “I’m just asking for physicians to be aware of their side effects.”

This article was originally published with the title "Perspectives: It's Not Dementia, It's Your Heart Medication"(Further Reading)

If you have read the book, will you provide a quick synopsis of the what, how & why heart attacks occur? My understanding is that there are different kinds of HA's but at the end of the day, they're muscle cramps of the heart muscle...

Credit: ISTOCK PHOTO/kickstandONE DAY IN 1999, Duane Graveline, then a 68-year-old former NASA astronaut, returned home from his morning walk in Merritt Island, Fla., and could not remember where he was. His wife stepped outside, and he greeted her as a stranger. When Graveline’s memory returned some six hours later in the hospital, he racked his brain to figure out what might have caused this terrifying bout of amnesia. Only one thing came to mind: he had recently started taking the statin drug Lipitor.

Cholesterol-lowering statins such as Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor are the most widely prescribed medications in the world, and they are credited with saving the lives of many heart disease patients. But recently a small number of users have voiced concerns that the drugs elicit unexpected cognitive side effects, such as memory loss, fuzzy thinking and learning difficulties. Hundreds of people have registered complaints with MedWatch, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s adverse drug reaction database, but few studies have been done and the results are inconclusive. Nevertheless, many experts are starting to believe that a small percentage of the population is at risk, and they are calling for increased public awareness of the possible cognitive side effects of statins—symptoms that may be misdiagnosed as dementia in the aging patients who take them.

Fat and the Brain
It is not crazy to connect cholesterol-modifying drugs with cognition; after all, one quarter of the body’s cholesterol is found in the brain. Cholesterol is a waxy substance that, among other things, provides structure to the body’s cell membranes. High levels of cholesterol in the blood create a risk for heart disease, because the molecules that transport cholesterol can damage arteries and cause blockages. In the brain, however, cholesterol plays a crucial role in the formation of neuronal connections—the vital links that underlie memory and learning. Quick thinking and rapid reaction times depend on cholesterol, too, because the waxy molecules are the building blocks of the sheaths that insulate neurons and speed up electrical transmissions. “We can’t understand how a drug that affects such an important pathway would not have adverse reactions,” says Ralph Edwards, former director of the World Health Organization’s drug-monitoring center in Uppsala, Sweden.

ADVERTISEMENT
Two small trials published in 2000 and 2004 by Matthew Muldoon, a clinical pharmacologist at the University of Pittsburgh, seem to suggest a link between statins and cognitive problems. The first, which enrolled 209 high-cholesterol subjects, reported that participants taking placebo pills improved more on repeated tests of attention and reaction time taken over the course of six months—presumably getting better because of practice, as people typically do. Subjects who were on statins, however, did not show the normal improvement—suggesting their learning was impaired. The second trial reported similar findings. And a study published in 2003 in Reviews of Therapeutics noted that among 60 statin users who had reported memory problems to MedWatch, more than half said their symptoms improved when they stopped taking the drugs.
But other studies have found no significant link between statins and memory problems. Larry Sparks, director of the Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research at the Sun Health Research Institute in Sun City, Ariz., goes so far as to say that “you’ve got a better chance of buying a winning lottery ticket, walking outside and getting hit by lightning and dying” than you do of suffering a cognitive side effect from statins.

Vulnerable Genes?

Many experts agree that for most people the risk is quite low, but they are beginning to believe the effects are real. “A subset of the population is vulnerable,” argues Joe Graedon, co-founder of the consumer advocacy Web site the People’s Pharmacy, which has collected hundreds of reports of cognitive-related statin side effects in the past decade. Some researchers believe these people have a genetic profile that puts them at risk.
Beatrice A. Golomb, an associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, suggests that one at-risk group may be people with defects in their mitochondria, the structures within cells that make energy. Statins prevent the body from making an antioxidant that neutralizes the damaging free radicals created by mitochondrial activity. If brain cells—which consume lots of energy—already have mitochondrial problems, then statin therapy could tip the scale and cause noticeable symptoms, such as trouble learning.

Golomb’s theory is supported by a 2006 study published by geneticist Georgirene Vladutiu of the University at Buffalo. Vladutiu reported that statin users who experience muscle pain and weakness as a side effect are more likely than other users to have preexisting genetic defects related to cellular energy production. And as with brain cells, muscle cells are high energy users.

Different Formulations

Interestingly, some studies suggest that statins might improve memory in certain people by lowering the risk of dementia. This benefit could occur because cholesterol is involved in the production of the protein clusters that are the hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. But even if statins are neurologically protective for some, they may be problematic for others, given that the opposing effects probably arise through different biochemical pathways.

Because statins differ in their formulations and can affect so many processes, and because users have different genetic predispositions, simply switching drugs might help people who are experiencing warning signs such as forgetting names. A 2009 Pharmacotherapy study published by Golomb and Marcella A. Evans, a graduate student at the University of California, Irvine, analyzed the characteristics of 171 statin users who reported cognitive side effects. Their findings suggest that people who take the more potent statins—Crestor and Lipitor—are at an increased risk compared with people who take weaker statins.

Graveline, for one, is certain that Lipitor was to blame for his 1999 amnesia incident. Although he immediately stopped taking the drug, his doctor—who was skeptical—convinced him a year later to give it another shot. Sure enough, after another eight weeks of treatment, he suffered a second episode. Graveline has been statin-free ever since, instead following a healthy diet to keep his cholesterol low, and he says he has never felt better. But he also knows that for many, the benefits that statins provide will overshadow their risks. “I’m not asking for statins to be taken off the market,” he says. “I’m just asking for physicians to be aware of their side effects.”

This article was originally published with the title "Perspectives: It's Not Dementia, It's Your Heart Medication"(Further Reading)

100% of everyone I've talked to that are on a daily statin of 20 mg or more have some kind of adverse side effects from this class of prescribed drug. I have now terminated using them.... as I experienced terrible muscle aches, pains, loss of memory & brain fog. Initially my cardiologist denied that statins could cause these effects, he has since recanted when I confronted him with not only my experience but thousands of on-line complaints of terrible side effects caused by these drugs... Independent research by credible medical doctors & PHD's expose published big pharma results as misrepresentative in the best case scenario and outrageous criminal fraud, etc. in the worst cases... Most of the Docs are relying upon this false data to treat their patients with meds that destroy muscle & brain cells .... these are overprescribed very dangerous & harmful drugs in most cases, IMO!

Gold Member

If you have read the book, will you provide a quick synopsis of the what, how & why heart attacks occur? My understanding is that there are different kinds of HA's but at the end of the day, they're muscle cramps of the heart muscle...

100% of everyone I've talked to that are on a daily statin of 20 mg or more have some kind of adverse side effects from this class of prescribed drug. I have now terminated using them.... as I experienced terrible muscle aches, pains, loss of memory & brain fog. Initially my cardiologist denied that statins could cause these effects, he has since recanted when I confronted him with not only my experience but thousands of on-line complaints of terrible side effects caused by these drugs... Independent research by credible medical doctors & PHD's expose published big pharma results as misrepresentative in the best case scenario and outrageous criminal fraud, etc. in the worst cases... Most of the Docs are relying upon this false data to treat their patients with meds that destroy muscle & brain cells .... these are overprescribed very dangerous & harmful drugs in most cases, IMO!

My first heart surgeon prescribed statins as a "medicine" that I would take for the rest of my life. I went through a few months of statin side effects from 4-5 different brands - all of them were horrible. I stopped taking them.

Interestingly enough, he wasn't 60 yet, when he tipped over from a heart attack. I can only assume he was also on statins ....

My 2nd heart surgeon ( in his 40s ? ) told me it was his goal to get every patient of his over 50 on statins - I fired him immediately

My current heart surgeon knows I will not take statins and doesn't push it. I take a few suppliments. Co-Q10 ...

FYI - I'll be 70 in a few months. I eat well / healthy, get my sleep and plenty of exercise - life is good.

My time will come when it comes, and when it does, I won't be feeling cramped up, brain fogged, with sore back and leg muscles, purple hands and arms from blood leaking out of my veins.

edit: Life on this planet short - live it as best you can with all the gusto you can muster.

" I went to the doctor. He gave me six months to live. I told him I couldn't pay my bill, so he gave me another six months" -- Henny Youngman

Last edited: Jul 16, 2018

"Over-sentimentality, over-softness, in fact washiness and mushiness are the great dangers of this age and of this people.

Unless we keep the barbarian virtues, gaining the civilized ones will be of little avail." -- Theodore Roosevelt

Gold Member

I don't know. My insurance denied it when my Primary Phys prescribed it.
I refuse to take statins
I hate doctors.
I am on a fixed income, but he perscibes the most expensive drugs, that my Medicare won't cover it, and I wouldn't take it any way.

GIM Founding Member & Mod.

I don't know. My insurance denied it when my Primary Phys prescribed it.
I refuse to take statins
I hate doctors.
I am on a fixed income, but he perscibes the most expensive drugs, that my Medicare won't cover it, and I wouldn't take it any way.

I was told Repatha was $600 a month for two doses & insurance wont cover the once every two week treatments... I have been prescribed several different statins, with each new script the price almost doubled.... I wont even try to take them anymore as everyone of them has created & caused major side effects.... besides, most of the research says they dont perform as advertised.

I'd rather be

Been on simvastatin since 2008, no side effects that I can tell, had a cardiac stress treadmill test last year, ticker’s fine so far. Some statins are worse than others, and some may work differently for different people.

R.

Last edited: Jul 18, 2018

"Walk the gold trails of my good friend, do I. On my feet are "strong sole" of thick leather, purchased with much knowledge of physical gold. These shoes not go bare before our journey is done. On trail I see your "thin sole" gold investments cast aside and scavenged by beasts." - ANOTHER (THOUGHTS!) (04/14/01; 18:08:54MT - #: 51887)

"They will be pulled out root and branch and fed in a wood chipper of divine justice. Their arrogant criminality have OUTRAGED the citizens of this republic and the vengeance of God will wipe the Luciferian smirks from their face and grind their brazen foreheads into dust! "

In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens - Notebook, 1904​

I tried to use the statins for at least one year, but quit them at 10 months post CABG X5 last August. Considering dropping the 12.5 mg twice daily Metoprolol for a couple months after the upcoming one year anniversary. If I do I'll monitor my heart rate & BP several times daily. Currently my HR average is around 58 bpm.... bp 119 / 78 ... Dr Cardio says he wants low HR & BP for remainder of my days, I'm growing weary of feeling "pharma" fatigued all the time. Need a break from feeling the fatigue...

Gold Member

I tried to use the statins for at least one year, but quit them at 10 months post CABG X5 last August. Considering dropping the 12.5 mg twice daily Metoprolol for a couple months after the upcoming one year anniversary. If I do I'll monitor my heart rate & BP several times daily. Currently my HR average is around 58 bpm.... bp 119 / 78 ... Dr Cardio says he wants low HR & BP for remainder of my days, I'm growing weary of feeling "pharma" fatigued all the time. Need a break from feeling the fatigue...

I had CABGx4 18 years ago. Could not tolerate statins. I am not telling you what to do, but if you feel that lousy, then the statins are killing you, and will kill you faster than a heart attack.
Look for other means to keep your heart healthy. There is a lot of information out there. There are also Doctors who don't believe statins are necessarily the right approach. Kill you and make you poor at the same time.
I know what a hassle it can be to find a doctor who don't believe in the big pharm hype. I haven't found one yet. I had one, but he retired.
Funny, but it is not my Cardio doc insisting on statins, it's my Primary Physician. I wish he would STFU, already.

GIM Founding Member & Mod.

I had CABGx4 18 years ago. Could not tolerate statins. I am not telling you what to do, but if you feel that lousy, then the statins are killing you, and will kill you faster than a heart attack.
Look for other means to keep your heart healthy. There is a lot of information out there. There are also Doctors who don't believe statins are necessarily the right approach. Kill you and make you poor at the same time.
I know what a hassle it can be to find a doctor who don't believe in the big pharm hype. I haven't found one yet. I had one, but he retired.

I have a hypothesis regarding cardiologists & other MD's... I noticed when I made the decision to terminate statin use my Cardio was rather unphased upon learning that I had decided to terminate the use of them... I think my Cardio has to push the statins because the American Heart Assoc. & other medical institutions have decided that statins are this weeks proper protocol for treatment & pretreatment of heart disease & diabetes, etc.. If they, the Doctors dont tow or follow the institutionalized dogma & treatment doctrines they risk losing their medical licenses and also may be subject to the risk of malpractice from their patients if something goes wrong.

That was my take on my recent experience with my Cardio... his transformation was amazing once "I" made my own medical decision and he was off the hook! YMMV

Gold Member

My cardio is exactly the same.
I just cancelled apppointment with my primary. He does nothing but prescribe the most expensive shit on the market, none of which my cardio cares about. I will continue to see my cardiologist.

Gold Member

If you have read the book, will you provide a quick synopsis of the what, how & why heart attacks occur? My understanding is that there are different kinds of HA's but at the end of the day, they're muscle cramps of the heart muscle...

Killed then Resurrected

I was on statins, had all the side effects you can think of. I quit a few years ago, and my health starting improving at that point.
I later found out the hospital had a goal of a certain average cholesterol level for the patient population.
My FIL was put on statins at 76! He died within a couple of months. They murdered him IMHO.

I never had a blood sugar problem my whole life until statins. Nothing else had changed in my life. Draw your own conclusions.

GIM Founding Member & Mod.

I was on statins, had all the side effects you can think of. I quit a few years ago, and my health starting improving at that point.
I later found out the hospital had a goal of a certain average cholesterol level for the patient population.
My FIL was put on statins at 76! He died within a couple of months. They murdered him IMHO.

I never had a blood sugar problem my whole life until statins. Nothing else had changed in my life. Draw your own conclusions.

@ gringott .... this ^ seems to be the normal story & experience by patients placed on statins as a medical treatment, the exception is patients that dont experience 3 or more side effects.

Research is now discovering that statins are only applicable as a valuable treatment for 20% or less of the population, 80% just simply cannot tolerate them... to the 80% they are poison that elevates blood sugar, causes diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, and increases arterial blockages (atherosclerosis).... its my understanding that for heart patients statins do actually help thin the blood & reduce arterial inflammation... this is good, but I can thin my blood with aspirin & garlic capsules, and reduce inflammation with garlic, pomegranite juice, and/or vinegar & lemon juice without all of the risks & side effects associated with statins.... The more I learn about these drugs & patient experiences the more I begin to think these drugs need to be taken off the market... or at least treat them like opioids, both are poisons & both were/are marketed by big pharma the same way... I'm two months off statins & I still have statin aches, pains & brain fog! Not as bad as it once was but its still there. I'm pissed off that these drugs were even prescribed to me and even further pissed off when my cardio told me the side effects I was experiencing were not from the statins.... no I'm more than pissed, I'm damned angry!

Gold Member

@ gringott .... this ^ seems to be the normal story & experience by patients placed on statins as a medical treatment, the exception is patients that dont experience 3 or more side effects.

Research is now discovering that statins are only applicable as a valuable treatment for 20% or less of the population, 80% just simply cannot tolerate them... to the 80% they are poison that elevates blood sugar, causes diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, and increases arterial blockages (atherosclerosis).... its my understanding that for heart patients statins do actually help thin the blood & reduce arterial inflammation... this is good, but I can thin my blood with aspirin & garlic capsules, and reduce inflammation with garlic, pomegranite juice, and/or vinegar & lemon juice without all of the risks & side effects associated with statins.... The more I learn about these drugs & patient experiences the more I begin to think these drugs need to be taken off the market... or at least treat them like opioids, both are poisons & both were/are marketed by big pharma the same way... I'm two months off statins & I still have statin aches, pains & brain fog! Not as bad as it once was but its still there. I'm pissed off that these drugs were even prescribed to me and even further pissed off when my cardio told me the side effects I was experiencing were not from the statins.... no I'm more than pissed, I'm damned angry!

Me too. I'm so glad I was finally able to come to my senses when I did. "take this pill, then take this pill to counteract the side effects of the first pill, than take another pill to counteract the side effects of the 2nd pill .... Dr's were always "Gods", to kneel before and follow all instructions without question. Statins was my turning point . I finally told them politely to fuck off.

It's not only statinsStudy Suggests Medical Errors Now Third Leading Cause of Death in the U.S.
Physicians advocate for changes in how deaths are reported to better reflect reality

Gold Member

If they, the Doctors dont tow or follow the institutionalized dogma & treatment doctrines they risk losing their medical licenses and also may be subject to the risk of malpractice from their patients if something goes wrong.

That could be looked at two ways. Is it because the incidence of death from other causes has gone down due to better treatments, or because the med industry is just killing more people than it used to? I say it that way because there has always been a certain number injured or killed due to medical mistakes. It's why they say a Doctor practices medicine. They are in fact literally practicing. Ie: still learning. Ie: not perfect. Ie: sometimes patients have negative outcome.

Gold Member

I notice that that book came out right about the time state governments were ruling this way or that on the great margarine v. butter controversy. Polyunsaturated fats and hydrogenated oils indeed.

Margarine still pollutes humans all over the world and artherosclerosis and heart attacks haven't gone away. Instead we have people in their 20's/30's and 40's dying from heart attacks today. Did these people EVER have a chance to be healthy?

So, here we are well past a CENTURY in the use and consequences of polyunsaturated fats. Has progress been made? No. In fact we are, as a people more stupid now and we're dying younger of heart attacks and artherosclerosis. Government laws and regulations? They serve only to keep businesses in business, at least those who whine and donate the most.

Gold Member

I was told Repatha was $600 a month for two doses & insurance wont cover the once every two week treatments... I have been prescribed several different statins, with each new script the price almost doubled.... I wont even try to take them anymore as everyone of them has created & caused major side effects.... besides, most of the research says they dont perform as advertised.

GIM Founding Member & Mod.

I notice that that book came out right about the time state governments were ruling this way or that on the great margarine v. butter controversy. Polyunsaturated fats and hydrogenated oils indeed.

Margarine still pollutes humans all over the world and artherosclerosis and heart attacks haven't gone away. Instead we have people in their 20's/30's and 40's dying from heart attacks today. Did these people EVER have a chance to be healthy?

So, here we are well past a CENTURY in the use and consequences of polyunsaturated fats. Has progress been made? No. In fact we are, as a people more stupid now and we're dying younger of heart attacks and artherosclerosis. Government laws and regulations? They serve only to keep businesses in business, at least those who whine and donate the most.

I was quite shocked to lean how many people from ages 20 - 50 were experiencing heart attacks & heart disease of every kind. Atherosclerosis is the most common CVD. The thoracic surgeons are giving CABG procedures like common popcorn these days. Oddly after decades of research, the medical industry reports they dont have a clue as to WHY CVD developes in the hu-man body... I call b.s... Little known by the general public is that Open Heart Surgery financially saved most of the big hospitals around the country since the 1960's... I call that financial incentive to NOT find the cause or the cure. CABG, etc. is not a cure, except to say it cures angina & lowers the risk of heart attack by a small percentage.

Research indicates that diet accounts for less than 20% of plaque blockages, which means there are other factors resulting in CVD. Most likely genetics combined with mineral & vitamin deficiencies... altho I personally suspect that micro-parasites in the arteries may be feeding on the arterial walls abd/or on the cells that repair the artery walls. Big doses of Vit C (absorbic acid) may help in regulating, lowering or terminating the volume of parasites that cause arterial scurvy. Linus Pauling developed the Pauling Therapy to reduce or remove plaque & blockages employing 5 grams of vit c daily.

With the average CABG costing $250k - $300k, I dont suspect to see any new cures or therapy's to reduce CVD in the population. Its just to profitable for the medical industry to give up. JMO

altho I personally suspect that micro-parasites in the arteries may be feeding on the arterial walls abd/or on the cells that repair the artery walls. Big doses of Vit C (absorbic acid) may help in regulating, lowering or terminating the volume of parasites that cause arterial scurvy. Linus Pauling developed the Pauling Therapy to reduce or remove plaque & blockages employing 5 grams of vit c daily.

I had all of these symptoms and more under 4 or 5 different statins. It's interesting to note, that although i had NONE of these problems prior to taking statins, my muscles are now breaking down somehow and overloading my kidneys, causing my urine to turn brown.

Then, because of muscle weakness after being on statins for a few months, we need to evaluate the patient with ankle-brachial devices to measure difference in blood pressure .... even though the patient was strong as a bull prior to taking statins ....

Muscle Pain, Myopathy, and Rhabdomyolysis
Muscle symptoms are a common side effect of statins; many people experience aches in the shoulders, pain in the jaw, or muscle pain in the legs. The pain indicates muscle breakdown. When tissues break down, the body must eliminate waste products. The waste products - among them creatine kinase - can overload the kidneys, causing more serious problems.

When a patient approaches a doctor about muscle pain after beginning a statin regimen, other factors about the patient must be considered. If the patient is a vegetarian, he or she may have muscle pain due to carnitine or vitamin B12 deficiencies. The statin may be the "straw that breaks the camel's back" and raises the pain to a noticeable level. In this case the patient doesn't necessarily have to quit the statins, just to take other measures to correct deficiencies. Dietary supplements of vitamins as well as alcohol can cause muscle pain which might be confused for statin-induced pain. And patients who eat red yeast might inadvertently end up taking a higher dose of statin than planned.

Patients complaining of muscle weakness or soreness are often evaluated with ankle-brachial index devices to measure differences in blood pressure through the body, which can be a sign of vascular disease.

"Over-sentimentality, over-softness, in fact washiness and mushiness are the great dangers of this age and of this people.

Unless we keep the barbarian virtues, gaining the civilized ones will be of little avail." -- Theodore Roosevelt

God,Donald Trump,most in GIM2 I Trust. OTHERS-meh

I was placed on on ATORVASTATIN , a LIPITOR knock off when I had this last Kidney Stone issue which uncovered several other issues I have and now have to deal with. I've been on it for 22 days now. In this last week I feel like I am in a brain fog and since this feeling my diastolic numbers has been higher than my average.
After reading up on Statins I've decided to stop taking that "medicine".

Does any of my brothers and sisters here have an idea how long it will take to leach this "med" out of my system ?

Thanks in Advance.

OBTW - If and when I feel brain clarity I post it here.

Gb

As in the Past it is Today : HELL hath no Fury like a Woman Scorned be it 1 / 2 or 3 Years or One /Two or Three DECADES.
gbI have come to the conclusion "Anonymous Sources" are those little voices PROGS and LameStreamMedia hear in their heads. "Russia,Russia,Russia"

"DONALD J. TRUMP a President without a Party but a Nation Has His Back". - Gb

" We have gold because we can not trust our governments". - President Herbert Hoover , 1933

Gold Member

As I understand it, statins are supposed to lower cholesterol. My issue with this idea is that, on average, 25% of a person's cholesterol is found in their brain...and you really don't want to remove any from that location.

So how does the drug know how to remove cholesterol from my arteries and not from my brain?